Immagini della pagina
PDF
ePub

hope, and glorious appearing of the great God, and our "The words in the original, Saviour Jefus Chrift."* might, with propriety, be rendered Our Great God and Saviour. Mr. Fleming, in fupport of this interpretation, obferves; that we never read of the Father's appearance."+ Through the righteousness of our God, and Saviour Jefus Chrift." "But unto the Son, he faith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever."§

+

"Great is

the mystery of godlinefs; God was manifeft in the flefh."

2. What is in one part of the Bible faid of Jehovah, and afcribed to Him, as the only true God, this being the name which is appropriated to him in diftinction from all other beings, is, in other paffages, afcribed to the Redeemer of man, Jefus Chrift, and applied to him. "Mine eyes have feen the King, the Lord (JEHOVAH) of hofts." This JEHOVAH, Lord of hofts, is faid by St. John, to be Jefus Chrift, as he applies this paffage to him-" These things, faid Ifaiah, when he faw his (Chrift's) glory, and spoke of him."+

"Thus faith the Lord, the king of Ifrael, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hofts, I am the firft and I am the laft, and befides me there is no God." Here Jehovah takes this character to himself, as peculiar to him. The FIRST, and the LAST. But Jefus Chrift, the Redeemer of the true Ifrael, the church; who redeems his people from the curfe of the law, by his blood, takes this fame character to himself, and therefore muft himself be JEHOVAH, befides whom there is no God. "I (Jefus Chrift)' am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the FIRST and the LAST.' This fame person takes this to himself repeatedly in the firft chapter of this book, faying, I am Alpha and Omega, the FIRST and LAST."†

A a 4.

"1

Tit. ii. 13. † Doddridge's Note on the place. 2 Peter, i. 1. § Heb. i. 8.

| 1 Tim. iii. 16.

¶ Ifaiah, vi. 5.

• Rev. xxii. 13.

John, xii. 41. Ifaiah, xliv. 6. + Verse 11.

"I am the FIRST and the LAST: I am he that liveth, and was dead, and, behold I am alive for evermore."" I am Alpha and Omega, the begin ning and the ending, faith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the ALMIGHTY. "I, even I, am the Lord, and befides me there is no SAVIOUR." This title and character, which JEHOVAN takes to himself, exclufive of all others, the SAVIOUR of Ifrael, his church and people, is conftantly given to Jefus Chrift in the New Teftament. He is called Jefus, which fignifies a Saviour, because he faves his people from their fins. I "Chrift is the head of the church, and he is the SAVIOUR of the body," that is the church.* He is called, "Our Lord and SAVIOUR Jefus Chrift."† This title is given to him in other places, too many to be particularly recited. And this is needlefs, fince one inftance of his being called, by way of eminence, the SAVIOUR, is fufficient to prove the point now in view. It may be proper and useful, however, under this head to observe, that as this title, The SAVIOUR, is claimed as peculiar to JEHOVAH, the only true God, in the pasfage juft quoted from Ifaiah; and fince Jefus Chrift is called God, and afferted to be God, in many inftances, which have been mentioned above, we are hence warranted to apply the expreffion GOD OUR SAVIOUR which is fo often used, to Jefus the only Saviour and Redeemer of his church. Among other inftances of this, the following may be particularly noted. "And Mary faid, My foul doth magnify the Lord, and my fpirit hath rejoiced in God MY SAVIOUR. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a SAVIOUR, which is Chrift the Lord." ་་ According to the commandment of God OUR SAVIOUR. That they may adorn the doctrine of God OUR SAVIOUR in all things. Our great God and SAVIOUR Jefus Chrift.

IV. 17. V. 8. Ifaiah, xliii. 11. † 2 Peter, i. 11. ii. 20. iii. 2, 18.

But after

Matt. i. 21. Eph. v. 33. ‡ Luke, i. 46, 47. ii. 11.

the

the kindnefs and love of GOD OUR SAVIOUR appeared.* Through the righteoufnefs of OUR GOD AND SAVIOUR Jefus Chrift" In our tranflation it is God and our Saviour, but this is not fo agreeable to the original, as that now given. "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to prefent you faultlefs before the prefence of his glory, with exceeding joy, to the only wife God our Saviour, be glory and majefty, dominion and power, both now and ever, Amen."I

That Jefus Chrift is the perfon here intended by the only wife God our Saviour, is farther evident, because this fame thing is exprefsly afcribed to him by St. Paul. That he (Chrift) might prefent it to himfelf, a glorious church, not having fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish."S

Again, JEHOVAH, the Lord of hofts, is called the hufband of the church, and claims this relation. "Thy Maker is thine hufband, the Lord of hosts is his name." "Thou shalt no more be termed forfaken, &c. for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land fhall be married. -And as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, fo shall thy God rejoice over thee." This fame character and relation is afcribed to Jefus Chrift. He is the bridegroom, the husband of the church. John Baptist, speaking of Chrift, fays, "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom." St. Paul fays to the Corinthian church, "I have espoused you to one hufband, that I may prefent you a chafte virgin to Chrift."+ St. John heard them rejoicing in heaven, and saying, "The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife (the church) hath made herself ready." "And I faw the holy city, new Jerufalem (which is the church) coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And

Tit. i. 3. ii. 10, 13. iii. 4. † 2 Pet. i. 1. ‡ Jude, xxiv. 25. § Eph. v. 27. Ifaiah, liv. 5. *John, iii. 29. † 2 Cor. xi. 2.

Ifaiah, lxii. 4, 5.

Rev. xix. 7.

And there came unto me one of the feven angels, and talked with me faying, come hither, I will fhew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.' * Thus it appears that JEHOVAH, the only true God, is the church's husband; and fo is Jefus Chrift. Therefore Jefus Chrift is JEHOVAH; Or the only true God, and Jefus Chrift, are the fame: For the church hath not, and cannot have two hufbands: Nor are there two brides or wives, who can each of them have a husband: For there is but one church; but one! bride, who, as a chaste virgin, is espoused to one husband, Jefus Chrift. "There is ONE body," that is, the church, of which Chrift is the only head and husband.t "My doves, my undefiled is but ONE."

"Sanctify the Lord (JEHOVAH) of hofts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread: And he fhall be for a fanctuary; but for a ftone of ftumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Ifrael."'§ This,which is fpoken of JEHOVAH, is applied to Jefus Chrift by St. Peter. "The flone which the builders difallowed, the fame is made the head of the corner, and a ftone of ftumb ling and rock of offence." It is faid, "The Lord God of the holy prophets fent his angel to fhew unto his fervants the things which muft fhortly be done." And in the fixteenth verfe Jefus Chrift fays, "I Jefus have fent mine Angel to teftify unto you thefe things in the churches." Here the Lord God of the holy Prophets, which must be JEHOVAH, and Jefus Chrift, are faid to be the fame thing. Therefore Jefus Chrift and the Lord God, are one and the fame.

་་

Not half the inftances of this kind, which might be adduced under this head, have been mentioned; but these are enough, it is prefumed, to illuftrate and make evident to every attentive, impartial perfon, the truth of the particular obfervation, to prove which they have been cited.

* Rev. xxi. 2. 9. † Eph. iv. 4.

Peter, ii. 7, 8.

3. That

Cant. vi. 9. § Ifai. viii. 13, 14.

Rev. xxii. 6.

3. That Jefus Chrift is God, is evident from the divine attributes being afcribed to him, even those which are peculiar to the Deity.

Eternity, or exifting without beginning, is afcribed to him. "But thou Bethlehem-out of thee fhall he come forth unto me, that is, to be ruler of Ifrael, whofe going forth bave been from of old, from everlasting." This is exprefsly applied to Chrift.* He is represented in that remarkable type of him, Melchizedeck, to be without beginning of days, or end of time. He is "the begining and the ending, the firft and the laft, which is, and which was, and which is to come." Which words rongly exprefs eternal existence, without beginning or end.

Immutability is afcribed to him, which is an attribute peculiar to God. Speaking to the Son of God, it is faid, "Thou art the fame," as opposed to all changeable existence. This is expreffed more ftrongly in the following words, "Jefus Chrift, the fame yesterday, to day, and forever." Here both his eternity, his existence from everlafting to everlafting, and his immutability, are expreffed. He is omnipotent.I "And Jesus came and spake unto them, faying, All power is given unto me, in heaven and in earth: He is "Head over all things to the church."* "He is able to fubdue all things unto himself." He is "The firft and the laft, which is, and which was, and which is to come, The Almighty." He upholds all things by the word of his power." His creating and upholding all things, and other works which are afcribed to him, are, without controverfy, the work of Omnipotence. But these will be more particularly confidered under another head.

Mich. v. 2.

Heb. i. 12.

* Matt. ii. 6.

Heb. xiii. 8.

That

Heb. vii. 3. ↑ Rev. i. 8, 17. xxii. 13.
Matt. xxviii. 18. * Eph. ii. 22.

† Phil. iii. 21. † Rev. i. 8. § Heb. i. 3.

« IndietroContinua »